Tucson Tostadas
Submitted by Highland Crow
Tucson-style cheese tostadas with three Mexican cheeses (Oaxaca, Monterey Jack, anejo), roasted poblano peppers, and fresh cilantro on a crispy fried flour tortilla. A southern Arizona classic.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
10 minREADY
40 minThis is the kind of recipe that gets passed around at family gatherings in southern Arizona. A flour tortilla fried until golden and crispy, layered with three different Mexican cheeses, topped with roasted poblano pepper strips and fresh cilantro, then baked just long enough for the cheese to melt. Slice it like a pizza and serve immediately.
The three-cheese combination is what sets this apart from a regular quesadilla. Oaxaca cheese (a stringy, melty Mexican cheese) goes on first, then Monterey Jack for smooth melt, and crumbled anejo on top for a salty, Parmesan-like sharpness. Each cheese adds a different texture and flavor.
Roast fresh poblanos over an open flame or under the broiler until charred, then peel, seed, and slice them thin. Their mild, smoky heat is the right match for all that rich cheese. Arrange the slices in a pattern on top since these look as good as they taste.
Chef Tips
- Fry the tortillas in lard if you’re willing. The flavor difference is significant compared to oil. If not, use a neutral oil with a high smoke point.
- Drain the fried tortillas well on paper towels and let them cool until crisp before adding cheese. Warm, flexible tortillas can’t support the toppings.
- Bake just 5 minutes. You want melted cheese, not browned. Browning makes the anejo bitter.
Variations
- Substitute Armenian mozzarella for Oaxaca and Muenster for Monterey Jack if Mexican cheeses aren’t available.
- Add sliced pickled jalapeños on top for sharper, more vinegary heat.
- Drizzle with Mexican crema or sour cream after baking for a richer finish.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
If you are using fresh poblanos, roast them and remove their skins and seeds, If you are using canned poblanos, wash and drain them.
Slice the peppers into thin decorative slices.
In a big frying pan, fry a tortilla in lard or oil until it is golden brown.
Remove to paper towels, drain well, then place on a baking sheet or pizza pan.
Although lard is bad for you, the grim truth is that tortillas taste very much better when they have been fried in lard.
Live dangerously.
When the tortilla has cooled and hardened, cover it with a thin layer of Oaxaca cheese, then with the jack cheese.
Crumble anejo on top of those layers, then sprinkle finely-chopped coriander on top of that.
Arrange the pepper slices in a geometric pattern on top of the cheeses.
Bake for 5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted but not browned.
Remove from the oven, and use a pizza cutter to slice into individual portions.
Serve immediately.
NOTES: * A toasted cheese tortilla snack popular in southern Arizona -- I first discovered this recipe in 1978 when I went to Tucson to visit my prospective in-laws.
The secret is to use Mexican cheeses.
Yield: Serves 6.
- Oaxaca (pronounced “oh-HOCK-a") cheese is a Mexican string cheese.
You can substitute any Mexican cheese marked “asadero” (melting cheese).
If you’re desperate, you can use Armenian mozzarella, which has the right texture but the wrong flavor.
Monterey jack is a bland American cheddar; you can substitute good-quality Muenster.
- Anejo cheese is somewhat like Parmesan, dry and crumbly.
You can substitute Mexican cotija cheese, but that is probably pointless, because a store that carries cotija will probably also carry anejo.
Fresh-ground parmesan will do in a pinch, though it is not the right flavor.
: Difficulty: easy once you have found the ingredients.
: Time: 10 minutes each.
: Precision: no need to measure.
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